Urban Survival Day 29 – Disarm an Attacker

I will start this post by saying that I do not suggest using this self defense technique unless it is absolutely necessary. Attempting these moves can get you hurt really easily. One wrong move and you put yourself right in reach of your attackers weapon.

29) Disarm an Attacker

“Avoid a stare-down that might infuriate your attacker, and always submit to demands for your posessions. But if things reach a point where you have no other choice but to disarm the bad guy or die, surprise your attacker with explosive violence”. Standing your ground or running toward your attacker will probably throw them off guard. They’re expecting you to submit and be a victim. Here’s some disarming tips that might help you prevent becoming one.

Avoid a Knife: Knives are really dangerous and attempting to grab one from your attacker’s hand might just result in a sliced wrist or forearm. The best suggestion here is to run. But if running is not an option, go for your attacker’s wrist and twist it so the blade angles away from your body.

Snatch a Club: If your assailant comes at you with a club or bat, move quickly. It takes a second or two to fully swing something like that. Use this hesitation to your advantage and grab their wrist with one hand while pushing hard against their chest with your other hand to throw them off balance. Twisting their wrist violently should force them to release their weapon.

Grab a Gun: The closer you get to someone with a gun, the more dangerous they become. Any gun at point blank range can cause serious damage, so avoid attempting this unless you are expecting to get shot either way. If you choose to attempt disarming them, pivot to the side, away from the line of fire. At the same time, swing your arm (the one closest to the attacker) toward the shooting arm and grab the shooter’s wrist. Once you have their wrist in one hand, reach around with the other and grab the barrel of the gun. Using both hands, twist the gun out of your attacker’s hand.

I’m no ninja. I’m in relatively good shape though and I’m also small and agile. That doesn’t make the above suggestions sound any easier to me. Attempting to disarm an attacker will be my last resort for sure. I just don’t see many situations where an untrained individual could charge an attacker and disarm them without suffering major injuries, even if the attacker were caught off guard.

What do you think? Could you do it? Would you? I hope I never need to find out how I would respond . . .

The information in this post is a combination of my own opinions and information that was provided in the book, Urban Survival Guide, by Rich Johnson. Always attempt to avoid dangerous situations like the ones mentioned above. If you can flee an attacker, do so. Only resort to using the above suggestions if you have no other option.